Sanitary pillow covering



' Fgb. 1, 1949. c. HAMPTON SANITARY PILLOW COVERING Filed March 11, 194e- .patients back when lying Patented Feb. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES. PATENTI OFFICE Charlotte Hampton, Nashville, Tenn. Application March 1i, 1946, Serial No. 653,567

This invention relates to a novel pillow covering for so-called three-sided pillows.

While the so-called three-sided pillows actually have three face portions or sidesf and two end portions, making a total of five substantially fiat surfaces, such pillows are referred to throughout the specification as three-sided.

For some time, three-sided pillows have been quite extensively used in providing comfort for patients confined to bed in hospitals and like places. These three-sided or wedge-shaped pillows are well adapted to such uses, since they are 1 Claim. (Cl. 5339) more amenable to the required positioning to give support to the patient than are the conventional type pillows. They are often used to support the prone on one side, and they are also well adapted for use in supporting the limbs of the patient, particularly during long periods of convalescenc-e. a

Prior to the war commonly referred to as World War II, three-sided pillows were largely restricted in their use to cushions of the more or less decorative kind. They have always been permanently co'vered, u sually with a silk, satin, or rayon. material, and must have the covering completely renewed whenever the pillow becomes soiled.

Due to the extensive use of pillows of this kind in affording comfort for patients in hospitals and like places, it is essential to maintain the pillows in a highly sanitary condition. To this end, t is the purpose and object of the present invention to provide an effective sanitary pillow covering, especially adapted-for use on three-sided pillows, that can be readily removed from the pillow for laundering or dry-cleaning purposes and then re turned to the pillow without the necessity for using any extraneous elements such as clips, buttons, pins, or the like.

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to provide a sanitary pillow covering primarily designed and adapted for use on threesided pillows, which, is so formed that it ensures retention of thepillow in its intended three-sided condition.

It is a further and more detailed object of the invention to provide a sanitary pillow covering having its dimensions and shape conform to the particular size and configuration of the pillow with which it is to be associated.

Further and more detailed objects of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds. The invention will be described in this specification by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sanitary pillow covering of the present invention as applied to a pillow. with the closing flap positioned exteriorly of the covering;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View through the sanitary pillow covering of the present invention, showing the closing fiap positioned interiorly of the pillow covering; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the several elements of the sanitary pillow covering ofithe present invention, showing the same in partially assembled orm.

Referring to Fig. 3, the sanitary pillow covering embraces the two triangular end sections I0 and I l. The triangular end section if! is attached to the bottom face 12 through the medium of the sewn seam I3, and theflike triangular end section II is attached to the bottom face l2 through the medium of the sewn seam it. The back face is an independent element, and is attached'to the bottom face 12 throughthe medium of the sewn seam 16. The front face I'i' is likewise an independent element, and. is attached to the bottom face I2 through, the medium of the sewn seam it.

The front face it is elongated to provide the closure flap portion 19, having the finishing hem 20 along the free edge thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the end section it is additionally secured to the front face I! through the medium of the sewn seam 2i and to the back face i5 through the medium of the sewn seam 22.

In Fig. 2, the pillow is shown at 23 and a portion of the casing thereof is broken away at 24. In Fig. 2, the closing fiap extension 59 of the front face i1 is tucked inside the sanitary pillow covering between the pillow 23 and the rear face l5'of the pillow covering.

The sections H], H, l2, l5 and H are all securely held in assembled relation by the sewn seams such as l3, l4, I6, I8, 2! and 22. Only the flap extension IQ of the front face i? and the free edge 25 of the rear face i5 are free and unattached. In this way, the closing flap l9 may be folded down over the front face I! to provide an opening along the free edge 25 of the rear face l5 through which the pillow may be inserted into the sanitary pillow. covering. The pillow may easily be inserted in the opening in the covering, for example, by holding the covering in one hand, the three-sided pillow in the other, and compressing the pillow suificiently to force it through the opening in much the same manner as an ordinary rectangular pillow is inserted into the open end of an ordinary rectangular pillow case. When inserted, the pillow can readily be fitted to the inside configuration of the sanitary pillow covering by bringing the respective corners of the three-sided pillow into cooperation with the corresponding corners of the sanitary pillow covering, and the closure flap [9 folded down over the rear face iii. The closure flap l9 may either be left on the outside of thesanitary pillow covering, as shown in Fig. l, or it may be tucked inside of the pillow covering between the rear face l5 and the pillow-23, as shown in Fig. 2. In either event, the sanitary pillow covering will remain in position on the pillow and will not creep or become dislodged therefrom.

The flap l9 should be of substantial "length,

approximating from two-thirds or three-fourths ofpthe length of the rear face .l5,.so that the flap I9 will overlie a substantial portion of the rear face 15. 7

There is, of course, no criticality in respect to the precise dimensions of thefacesofthe sanitary pillow covering of the present invention, However, they must be substantially conformed to the dimensions of the particular pillow to be associated with the sanitary pillow covering.

The sanitary pillow covering of the present invention is preferably made of a good washable cotton or linen fabric, though it will be appreciated that it may be made of other materials, such as suitablewaterp'roof fabrics or some materials 'having desirable decorative effects.

Someconvalescent patients have found pillows of this type exceedingly helpful On beaches and like places, andfor such use it is highly desirable that the sanitary pillow covering be formed from p a Waterproof material.

By providing the sanitary pillow covering of the present'invention, it is possible to easily replace a soiled pillow covering'with a fresh one and to always ensure the greatest degree "of sanitation in the most economic and expeditious manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A removable "and replaceable covering for a prismatic pillow which pillow has twotriangular end panels and three rectangular side panels, said covering comprising a pair of triangular end sections, a rectangular back face attached at its ends by sewn seams to corresponding sides of said triangular end sections, a rectangular bottom face having one of its sides attached by a sewn seam to a side of said back face and having its ends attached by sewn seams to corresponding second sides of said triangular end sections, and a rectangular front face having one of its ends attached by a sewn seam to the remaining side of said bottom face and having portions of its sides attached by sewn seams to corresponding third sides of said triangular end sections, said front face having a flap portion extending over and substantially beyond an opening between said front face and said back face, the pillow to be covered being insertible into said covering through such opening, the sewn seams attaching said sections and faces being arranged to overlie the corresponding edges of the pillow to restrain said cover against slipping or creeping movement relative to the pillow, and said flap portion'being of sufficient length to be positioned in overlapping engagement with a substantial portion of said back face to assure that such opening shall remain covered during normal use of the pillow.

CHARLOTTE HAMPTON.

REFERENCES CITED Hays Dec. 6, 1932 Wells :etal June 20, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1900 Austria Dec, 10, 1930 Great Britain Jan. 24, 1929 GreatBritain Aug. '30, 1938 Number Number 

